1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to line bleed safety arrangements for hydraulic systems and in particular to devices for providing a safe release of stored hydraulic energy.
2. Prior Art
It is a well known hazard to mechanics and technicians performing servicing or maintenance of a hydraulic system that fluid under pressure is very dangerous. Incidents involving serious injury from a hydraulic leak are well known, such as when a mechanic or technician inadvertently runs his hand over a leaking fitting severing a finger or fingers, or bodily injuries as occur when a system line under high pressure is opened, spraying fluid against the mechanic or technician's skin. Numerous such incidents have occurred in which a mechanic or technician has released stored hydraulic energy from a line that was believed to be at low or atmospheric pressure. Certainly a better way than the common practice of "cracking a connector" to release pressure is needed. The present invention provides a device for meeting this need that affords the mechanic or technician with a closed-loop pressure bleed capability.
Heretofore a number of different configurations of devices and gauges have been provided for sensing and measuring a presence of fluid under pressure and examples of such are shown in patents to Kuter et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,233,462; to Schempp, U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,365 and to Baumann, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,753 with a check valve device shown in a patent to DeJuhasz, U.S. Pat. No. 2,547,377, that is for connecting a pressure sensing devices into a hydraulic system line. Such systems and arrangement, unlike the present invention, when installed, may alert a mechanic or technician to a presence of high pressure, but they have not provided, as does the present invention, for a safe and reliable system for conveniently releasing system pressure and to bleed fluid back to a system reservoir, or the like, to avoid a loss of hydraulic fluid from the system.